Cruise ship runs aground in remote part of Greenland

Shutterstock [For illustration]

A cruise ship carrying 206 people has run aground in a remote location in eastern Greenland and was not immediately able to free itself, the Danish military's Joint Arctic Command (JAC) said on Tuesday.

The Ocean Explorer luxury cruise vessel ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord in a national park some 1,400 km (870 miles) northeast of Greenland's capital Nuuk, the JAC said in a statement.

There were no reports of injuries and there was no immediate risk of harm to those on board nor to the environment, it added.

"A cruise ship in trouble in the national park is obviously a worry. The nearest help is far away, our units are far away, and the weather can be very unfavourable," the JAC head of operations, Commander Brian Jensen, added.

"However, in this specific situation, we do not see any immediate danger to human life or the environment, which is reassuring," he said.

The JAC said its nearest unit was an inspection vessel located some 1,200 nautical miles away at the time of the incident, meaning it could reach the grounded ship Friday morning local time at the earliest.

The Arctic command said it had asked a cruise ship located nearer to the Ocean Explorer to stay in the area so that it would be able to assist in case the situation changes.

More from International news

News

  • H.H. Sheikh Hamdan approves Umm Suqeim Beach master plan

    His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai has approved a AED500 million development plan to transform Umm Suqeim Beach into a major new public waterfront destination.

  • UAE FM condemns Israel’s repeated violations of ceasefire in Gaza

    The UAE's Foreign Minister joined with the Foreign Ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, on Sunday, to strongly condemn Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza which have resulted in the killing, and injuring of more than a thousand Palestinians.

  • UAE, World Food Programme sign deal to support Sudan aid efforts

    The United Arab Emirates has signed a cooperation agreement between the UAE Aid Agency and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support humanitarian response efforts in Sudan.